Nutcracker Sweets

Falling Snow
from http://www.parents.com/holiday/christmas/recipes/nutcracker-sweets/?page=4
To make these snowflakes:

1. Fold wonton wrappers into quarters and cut out designs with scissors.
2. Open; place on cookie sheet lined with foil.
3. Spray lightly with vegetable oil and sprinkle with sugar.
4. Bake at 350°F until they begin to brown, 5 to 8 minutes.
5. Cool on a wire rack.

Snow Cones
from http://www.parents.com/holiday/christmas/recipes/nutcracker-sweets/?page=3
To make these frosty trees:

1. Spread vanilla frosting or low-fat cream cheese on a sugar cone.
2. Roll in sweetened flaked coconut.
3. Turn upside down.
4. Refrigerate 5 minutes on wax paper.
5. Roll white spice drops in blue sugar to coat; cut star shapes and place on tree.
6. Decorate with mini M&M's or nonpareils (countrykitchensa.com), attaching them with frosting or cream cheese.

Jumbo Devil's Food Cookies

from http://www.parents.com/recipe/cakes/jumbo-devils-food-cookies/

Yield: 3 dozen cookies
Prep: 10 mins
Chill: 15 mins
Bake: 13 mins to 14 mins 350°F per batch

Going to try these smaller for Christmas Cookies

Ingredients
1 box (18.25 ounces) Devils food cake mix
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter, melted
2 eggs
1 cup crispy rice cereal
1 cup fluffy marshmallow topping

Make It
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour 2 large light-colored baking sheets (not nonstick).
2. Place cake mix, cocoa, water, butter and eggs in large bowl. On low speed, beat until combined, 1 minute. On medium, beat 2 minutes. Add cereal. On low, beat just until combined. Lightly stir in marshmallow topping, leaving mixture marbled. Refrigerate, covered, 15 minutes.
3. Using greased tablespoon, spoon slightly heaping tablespoons of dough, about 2 inches apart, onto prepared baking sheets. Refrigerate remaining dough in between batches.
4. Bake in 350 degree F oven for 13 to 14 minutes, until puffed and set in center. Let cool on baking sheet 1 minute. With metal spatula, carefully remove cookies to rack. Let cool.
5. Clean baking sheets. Butter and flour sheets; repeat with remaining dough. Makes 3 dozen cookies.

White Bark Balls

Published: December 19, 2007 http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/19/dining/191grex.html
1 1/2 cups Rice Krispies

1 cup crunchy peanut butter

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

2 tablespoons butter or margarine, at room temperature

12 ounces white chocolate

Colored sugar for sprinkling (optional).

1. In a medium bowl, combine Rice Krispies, peanut butter, confectioners’ sugar and butter or margarine. Mix until very well combined. Firmly compress into balls 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Place on a baking sheet, cover and refrigerate until well chilled, about four hours or overnight.

2. Line a baking sheet with waxed paper and set aside. In a double boiler over medium-low heat, melt white chocolate until completely smooth. Remove from heat and pour chocolate into a wide, shallow bowl. Working quickly in small batches, roll chilled balls in chocolate, turning gently with a fork. Transfer to waxed paper. If desired, sprinkle tops of cookies with colored sugar.

3. Place baking sheet in refrigerator long enough for chocolate to become firm, 30 minutes to 1 hour, then transfer to an airtight container. Store at room temperature for up to three days, or refrigerated for up to three weeks.

Yield: 3 dozen cookies.

Supernatural Brownies

Supernatural Brownies

Published: April 11, 2007 http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/11/dining/111brex.html
Adapted from “Chocolate: From Simple Cookies to Extravagant Showstoppers,” by Nick Malgieri (Morrow Cookbooks, 1998)

Related
Recipe: French Chocolate Brownies (April 11, 2007)

Recipe: New Classic Brownies (April 11, 2007)

Time: About 1 hour

2 sticks (16 tablespoons) butter, more for pan and parchment paper
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
4 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup dark brown sugar, such as muscovado
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or 3/4 cup whole walnuts, optional.

1. Butter a 13-by-9-inch baking pan and line with buttered parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In top of a double boiler set over barely simmering water, or on low power in a microwave, melt butter and chocolate together. Cool slightly. In a large bowl or mixer, whisk eggs. Whisk in salt, sugars and vanilla.

2. Whisk in chocolate mixture. Fold in flour just until combined. If using chopped walnuts, stir them in. Pour batter into prepared pan. If using whole walnuts, arrange on top of batter. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until shiny and beginning to crack on top. Cool in pan on rack.

Yield: 15 large or 24 small brownies.

Note: For best flavor, bake 1 day before serving, let cool and store, tightly wrapped.

Hungry Girl Pecan Roll

Pecan You Dig It? from http://www.hungry-girl.com/chew/show/2165
Imagine sinking your teeth into a sweet, sticky, spiral-shaped bun studded with pecans. Now imagine that the treat you're chewing is guilt-free. QUIT IMAGINING THINGS! That bun is REAL, and the recipe is right here...

Ingredients:
Filling
1/4 cup brown sugar (not packed)
1 tbsp. light whipped butter or light buttery spread (like Brummel & Brown)
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. salt

Buns
1 package refrigerated Pillsbury Crescent Recipe Creations Seamless Dough Sheet (or HG Alternative!)

Topping
3 tbsp. fat-free or light caramel dip (like the kinds by Marzetti)
2 tbsp. light whipped butter or light buttery spread (like Brummel & Brown)
2 tbsp. sugar-free pancake syrup
1 tbsp. brown sugar (not packed)
3 tbsp. chopped pecans

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 8 cups of a 12-cup muffin pan with nonstick spray and set aside.

To make filling, combine brown sugar with butter in a small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave for 10 seconds, or until butter has mostly melted. Mix in cinnamon and salt. Set aside.

Lay dough on a dry surface with the short sides on the left and right and the long sides on the top and bottom. Roll or stretch out dough into a large rectangle of even thickness. Evenly spread filling onto dough, leaving a 1-inch border around all edges.

Tightly roll up dough from the bottom, forming a log. Pinch the long seam to seal. Gently turn so the seam side is down. Cut log widthwise into 8 equally sized buns. Place a bun in each of the 8 sprayed muffin cups, spiral side up. Set aside.

In a medium microwave-safe bowl, combine all topping ingredients except pecans. Microwave for 30 - 45 seconds, until butter has mostly melted. Add pecans and mix well. Evenly distribute topping among buns, about 1 tbsp. each.

Bake in the oven until golden brown, 12 - 15 minutes.

Let cool slightly. Gently remove buns from pan while still warm. Enjoy!

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

HG Alternative! If you can't find the Recipe Creations dough, go for Pillsbury Reduced Fat Crescent roll dough. (The products are nearly identical.) Then just pinch/seal up the perforations for a seamless sheet.

Serving Size: 1 bun (1/8th of recipe)
Calories: 169
Fat: 7.5g
Sodium: 323mg
Carbs: 23.5g
Fiber: 0.5g
Sugars: 10.5g
Protein: 2g

White Chocolate Chip Spice Cookies

from http://www.parents.com/recipe/cookies/white-chocolate-chip-spice-cookies/
white-chocolate-chip spice cookies
Makes: 36 servings

Yield: 36 cookies
Prep: 15 mins
Bake: 14 mins 350°F per batch.

Ingredients
1 box (18.25 ounces) spice cake mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup white chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Melted white chocolate chips to drizzle, if desired

Make It
1. Heat oven to 350 F. Line 2 baking sheets with nonstick foil. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, eggs, melted butter and flour with a wooden spoon. When ingredients are completely blended, stir in chocolate chips and chopped nuts.

3. Drop dough onto prepared baking sheets by rounded tablespoons, about 12 cookies per sheet. Bake at 350 F for 14 minutes. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes. Remove cookies to rack and cool completely. Repeat with remaining cookie dough.

4. Once cookies have cooled, if desired, transfer melted chips to heavy-duty plastic bag. Snip off corner; drizzle over cookies.

nutrition facts
Servings Per Recipe 36 Calories(kcal)125 Protein(gm)2 Carbohydrate(gm)14 Fat, total(gm)7 Cholesterol(mg)23 Saturated fat(gm)3 Sodium(mg)118 Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

HAYSTACK NO BAKE COOKIES

1 c. butterscotch chips or chocolate or peanut butter
1/2 c. peanut butter
1/2 c. peanuts
2 c. chow mein noodles

Into 2 quart dish microwave at 50% power. Melt the chips and peanut butter (3-5 minutes). Stir in peanuts and chow mein noodles. Drop on wax paper. Put in refrigerator for faster set or let sit overnight on counter.

White Chocolate Cherry Almond Shortbread Cookies

White Chocolate Cherry Almond Shortbread Cookies

I added more cherry liquid and almond extract to bump up the flavor because that's how we do it around here.

It's a shortbread cookie which means the dough is super dry. Don't be worried. This is normal. It should look like this:


It will all come together when you knead it into a ball. Look at those beautiful chunks of white chocolate and cherries.


Then you make really small balls and flatten them with the bottom of a glass.


Dip them in melted white chocolate and sprinkles and you're done!

White Chocolate Cherry Almond Shortbread Cookies
Source: adapted from BHG

1/2 cup maraschino cherries, drained and finely chopped (reserve 2 Tablespoons of liquid from cherries)
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup cold butter
12 ounces white chocolate baking squares with cocoa butter, finely chopped
2 teaspoons almond extract
2 drops red food coloring
2 teaspoons shortening
White nonpareils, sprinkles, and/or red edible glitter (optional)

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spread cherries on paper towels to drain well reserving 2 Tablespoons of cherry liquid for later.

2. In a large bowl, combine flour and sugar. Using a pastry blender (or 2 forks), cut in the butter until mixture resembles fine crumbs. You could also use a food processor here or use your Kitchen Aid Mixer. Stir in drained and chopped cherries and 4 ounces (2/3 cup) of the chopped white chocolate. Stir in the 2 Tablespoons reserved cherry liquid, almond extract, and food coloring. Mixture will be very dry and look like crumbs. Don't worry. That's normal. Using your hands, knead mixture until it forms a smooth ball.

3. Shape dough into 3/4-inch balls. The cookies do not spread much so make sure your balls are well formed. Having slightly damp hands helps here. Place balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Using the bottom of a drinking glass dipped in sugar, flatten balls to 1-1/2-inch rounds.

4. Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until centers are set. Do not overbake! Cool for 1 minute on cookie sheet. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool.

5. In a small saucepan, combine remaining 8 ounces white chocolate and the shortening. Cook and stir over low heat until melted. You could also do this in the microwave, melting in 30 second intervals stirring in between. Dip half of each cookie into chocolate, allowing excess to drip off. If desired, roll dipped edge in sprinkles and/or edible glitter. Place cookies on waxed paper until chocolate is set. Makes about 48 cookies.

Storage: Layer cookies between waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months.

PECAN FINGER COOKIES

PECAN FINGER COOKIES
Printed from COOKS.COM

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup confectioners' sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup finely chopped pecans
Additional confectioners' sugar

In a mixing bowl, cream together butter and sugar until light. Whisk flour and salt together. Gradually add to creamed mixture. Stir in chopped pecans.
Shape tablespoonfuls into 2 inch fingers and place 2 inches apart on ungreased baking sheets.

Bake at 350°F for 15-18 minutes or until lightly browned.

Roll cookies in confectioners' sugar while still warm. Cool on wire racks.

Yield: about 4 dozen

Choco-Pistachio Pinwheels

Choco-Pistachio Pinwheels
from http://www.parents.com/recipe/cookies/choco-pistachio-pinwheels/
Makes: 40 servings

Yield: 40 pinwheels
Prep: 20 mins
Bake: 11 mins to 12 mins 350°F

Ingredients
1 16 1/2 ounce tube refrigerated sugar cookie dough
3 tablespoons instant pistachio pudding
2 tablespoons finely chopped pistachios
6 drops green food coloring
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tablespoons light-brown sugar

Make It
1. Divide cookie dough in half. Into one half knead in the pistachio pudding, chopped pistachio nuts and green food coloring. Shape into a small rectangle; wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 1 hour.

2. Into the remaining dough, knead in the cocoa powder and the brown sugar. Shape into a small rectangle, wrap in plastic and refrigerate 1 hour

3. Roll out the pistachio dough between 2 sheets of waxed paper to a 12 x 8-inch rectangle. Repeat with the chocolate dough.

4. Remove top sheet of waxed paper from the chocolate dough. Remove the top sheet of waxed paper from the pistachio dough and place on top of the chocolate dough. Peel off the top sheet of waxed paper. Starting with a long side, roll up doughs, jelly-roll fashion, using the bottom waxed paper as a guide and removing paper as you roll. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for 2 hours.

5. Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

6. Cut dough into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Place on ungreased baking sheets and bake at 350 degrees F for 11 to 12 minutes.

7. Remove from baking sheets and cool completely on a wire rack.

nutrition facts
Servings Per Recipe 40 Calories(kcal)65 Protein(gm)1 Carbohydrate(gm)9 Fat, total(gm)3 Cholesterol(mg)4 Sodium(mg)65 Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet

Popcorn Seasonings

Homemade Popcorn Flavoring

To start, pop 4 cups of plain popcorn,

then add one of these seasonings!

Movie Cinema Popcorn
Melt pure butter and add salt to
taste.

Cheddar Cheese
Mix together 3 tbsp melted butter,
1/4 cup cheddar cheese powder,
3/4 tsp mustard powder, 1/4 tbsp
cayenne pepper, salt and pepper to
taste.

Exotic Indian
Mix together 1 tsp of curry
powder, 1/4 tsp ground tumeric,
3/4 tsp ground ginger and a tiny
pinch of cayenne pepper.

Pizza
Mix together 3 tbsp grated
Parmesan cheese, 1 tsp ground,
dried oregano and 1/2 tsp dried
tomato powder.

Salt & Vinegar
Spritz 4 cups of popped, salted
popcorn with 1/4 cup of malt
vinegar.

Spicy Hot
Mix together 1/2 tsp chili powder
with 1/4 tsp dried crushed red
peppers. Add more chili powder
if you desire.

Cajun Spice
Mix 1 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp garlic salt,
1/2 tsp red pepper, 1/2 tsp white
pepper, 1/2 tsp black pepper,
1/2 tsp garlic powder, 1/4 tsp
oregano and 1/4 tsp thyme.

Salty & Sweet
Heat together 1 cup of sugar and 1
cup of light corn syrup in a sauce
pan and stir continuously until mix
boils. Allow to boil for one
minute then add 1 cup of peanut
butter. Stir until peanut butter is
melted, then toss in homemade
popcorn. Spread on a baking sheet
and bake in oven for 10 minutes at
300ºF. Sprinkle with kosher salt
when done.
Finish by putting popcorn in a cellophane
bag and tie with a holiday ribbon.

Want a custom gift tag?

Old Fashioned Soft Gingerbread

Old Fashioned Soft Gingerbread

ingredients
1/2 c white sugar
1/2 c butter
1 egg
1 c molasses
2 1/2 c all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1 c hot water

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 9 inch
square pan.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the sugar and butter. Beat
in the egg, and mix in the molasses.
3. In a bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt,
cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. Blend into the creamed
mixture. Stir in the hot water. Pour into the prepared pan.
4. Bake 1 hour in the preheated oven, until a knife inserted in
the center comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan before
serving.

tip Wrap in parchment paper and a ribbon to give as a gift, or
serve it with Egg Nog ice cream for the perfect holiday treat

Chex Caramel Crunch

Yield: 15 cups snack


Ingredients
2 cups Corn Chex cereal
2 cups Rice Chex cereal
2 cups Wheat Chex cereal
6 cups popped popcorn
2 cups pretzel sticks
1 cup honey-roasted peanuts
1/2 c packed brown sugar
1/2 c light corn syrup
1/4 c margarine or butter (do not use spread or tub products)
1/2 t vanilla


Directions:
Heat oven to 350 F. Mix cereals, popcorn, pretzels and peanuts in large bowl; set aside. Heat brown sugar, corn syrup and margarine to boiling in 1-quart saucepan over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla. Pour over cereal mixture inbowl, stirring until evenly coated. Spread in large ungreased roasting pan. Bake 20 minutes, stirring after 10 minutes. Spread on waxed paper to cool Store in airtight container.

MICROWAVE DIRECTIONS:
Mix cereals, popcorn, pretzels and peanuts in large microwavable bowl; set aside. Microwave brown sugar, corn syrup, margarine and vanilla in large bowl uncovered on High 2 minutes or until boiling, stirring after 1 minute. Pour over cereal mixture in bowl, stirring until evenly coated. Microwave 5 to 6 minutes, stirring after every minute. Spread on waxed paper to cool.


Important:
Because microwaves cook differently, times are approximate.

High Altitude (3500 - 6500 ft.)-- Oven Directions: no changes

Microwave Directions: Microwave 4 minutes, stirring after 2 minutes; then microwave 7 - 8 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes.

Nutrition Facts based on 1/2 cup servings
Yield: 15 cups snack
Approximate Nutrient Content per serving:
Calories: 120
Calories From Fat: 36
Total Fat: 4.5g
Cholesterol: 0mg
Sodium: 160mg
Total Carbohydrates: 19g
Protein: 2g


Please Note: Nutritional values listed may vary from final results depending on actual measurements, products and brands used to prepare the recipe.